Conveyer belt



R J. GUBA CONVEYER BELT Filed Feb. 6, 1957 April 12, 1938.

iNVENTORt Patented Apr. 12, 1938 UNITED STATES CONVEYER BELT Raymond J. Guba, Philadelphia, Pa., assigner to Audubon Wire Cloth Corporation, Philadelphia,

Pa., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 6, 1937, Serial No. 124,444

8 Claims.

My invention relates to conveyer belts, aprons and the like, and one object of my invention is to provide a conveyer belt structure made up of a pair of drive chains arranged to move in parallel relation with carrying or supporting means in the form of sections of fabric disposed between said chains; said sections consisting of interconnected helically coiled wires transversely arranged With respect to said chains.

A further object of my invention is to maintain the fabric sections centrally of the chains throughout the entire extent of the conveyer belt or apron, and a still further object is to maintain the upper surface of the fabric sections in substantially a single plane.

My improved structure includes cross-bar connections comprising loose sleeve elements spacing said chains at regular intervals and supported by aligned extensions of the pivotal connections for certain of their links; carrying means comprising sections of fabric made up of helically coiled wires hung from said cross-bar connections; means for supporting such fabric sections from the sleeves or tubular members of said cross-bar connections, and means for centrally spacing the fabric sections with respect to the chains longitudinally of the conveyer structure. The supporting means for the fabric sections may be inthe form of coiled wires surrounding the cross-bar connections and so shaped as to support the fabric sections of interconnected helically coiled wires in the plane of the upper portion of said supporting wires.

The sections of wire fabric made up of the interconnected transversely arranged helically coiled wires are maintained in a central position between the chains longitudinally of the conveyer by resilient means such as coiled spring elements which may be continuous with the coiled wires which surround the tubular members of the crossbar connections and to which the end wires of the fabric sections are secured, or such spring elements may be independent of the section-connecting wires.

These and other features of my invention are more fully described hereinafter; reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view, partly broken away, of a conveyer belt structure within the scope of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on a larger scale, partly broken away, taken on the line lll-II, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan View illustrating a detail of my invention.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line IV-IV, Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view, similar to Fig. 3, illustrating a modified detail of my invention.

My improved conveyer belt or apron includes a pair of chains l and 2 adapted to toothed driving and/or idler sprocket wheels 3 and 4 disposed in spaced relation and maintaining the belt structure in the same spaced relation. In addition to the toothed wheels, drums 5 may be arranged between the same over which the carrying portion of the conveyer passes. `The drive chains are of a more or less usual construction and may comprise a series of links 6, between which are mounted rollers 'l journaled on pivots 8 which may be in the form of rivets connecting the links. Certain of these pins are extended inwardly of the chains in transverse alignment to form arbors 8a upon which tubular members 9 are mounted and these tubular members serve as the supports for sections of wire fabric, indicated at lll, which provide the carrying portion orvapron of the conveyer structure.

The pivot pin arbors 8a which receive the tubular members 9, are disposed at regular intervals throughout the extent of the conveyer structure, and said tubular members carry coiled wires II, to which the end wires Il)a of the respective sections of fabric, indicated at l0, are attached. The coiled wires l l may terminate in relatively closely coiled portions Ila, forming springs which serve to hold the rest of such wires in a central position with respect to the chains and maintain the fabric sections I0 in a central position throughout the extent of the conveyer structure.

The carrying portion of the belt or apron comprises the sections of fabric lll, made up of interconnected helically coiled wires, of either right or left twist. These sections are connected by their end wires I!!a to the wires Il coiled around the tubular members 9 mounted on the pivot pin arbors 8a. By preference the number of connecting coils provided by the wires l I is the same in each instance and the spacing is such as to insure engagement with the bights of the helically coiled end wires IIJa of the fabric sections l0. Additionally, these fabric sections have their selvages in longitudinal alignment so that they may lie centrally of the chains longitudinally of the conveyer structure throughout the entire extent of the same.

In order that the sections of wire fabric may lie in a single plane and at the same level, the coils of the wires Il have a special contour, as clearly indicated in Fig. 4. As illustrated, these coils are substantially flat on top where they rest upon the tubular members 9, as indicated at l lb, while the lower or under portion is substantially semicircular, as indicated at IIC. This contour provides side loops lid which are engaged by the bights of the end wires lila of the fabric sections I0.

The wire fabric sections l are maintained in a central position with respect to the chains longitudinally of the conveyer structure by means of the spring portions Ila disposed at the ends of the coiled wires il to which the end wires Illa of the respective fabric sections are connected.

f While these spring portions lla may be integral with the wires ll, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, coiled springs entirely independent of the supporting wires may be employed, as vindicated at l5, in Fig. 5; such independent springs lying between the ends of shorter supporting wires, indicated at Il I, and the adjacent marginal edges of the wire fabric sections l and the chains.

The rollers 'l carried by the chains may be journaled on bushings H3 carried by the chain links 6, and these rollers are engaged by the teeth of the driving and driven sprocket wheels over which the chains pass. Additionally, the rollers may travel on rails throughout the straight runs of the conveyer belt. The belt is maintained in properly spaced relation by the chains in passing around the driving and driven sprocket' wheels, and the rails may be of a character that will perform the same function in the straight runs of the belt structure.

When it is necessary to repair or replace one of the wire fabric sections l0, the chains may be separated and a pair of the tubular members 9 removed. Then the wires Il which connect the wire fabric sections lil may be uncoiled from the same, and a new section applied; after which the supporting wires Il may be reengaged with the end wires of the adjacent wire fabric sections; the tubular members 9` reinserted in said supporting wires and then replaced on the p ivot pin arbors 8a of the chains. Y

It is to be understood, of course, that modifications may be made in the construction and arrangement oi the several elements making up my improved conveyer structure, without departing from the spirit of my invention; all of which is deemed to be within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A conveyer structure comprising a pair of drive chains in parallel relation with their links in transverse alignment, pivotal connections for said links, cross-bar connections for said chains aligned with certain of said pivotal connections, coiled wires mounted on said cross-bar connections, wire fabric sections made up of helically twisted interconnected wires and forming a carrying web arranged between said cross-bar connections and having their end wires connected to the coiled wires mounted thereon, and resilient means rdisposed between the chains and the fabric sections to maintain the latter centrally of the chains throughout the extent oi the conveyer structure.

2. A conveyer structure comprising a pair of drive chains in parallel relation with their links in transverse alignment, pivotal connections for said links, cross-bar connections for said chains aligned with certain of said pivotal connections, coiled wires mounted on said cross-bar connections, wire fabric sections made up of helically twisted interconnected wires and forming a carrying web arranged between said cross-bar connections and having their end wires connected to the coiled wires mounted thereon, and spring sections at the ends of said coiled wires to maintain the fabric sections centrally of the chains throughout the extent of the conveyer structure.

3. A conveyer structure comprising a pair of drive chains in parallel relation with their links in transverse alignment, pivotal connections for said links, cross-bar connections for said chains aligned with certain of said pivotal connections at regular intervals, continuous helically coiled wires mounted on said cross-bar connections and extending from chain to chain; the coils of said last-named wires being flattened on the upper side and semicircularly curved on the underside, and wire fabric sections made up of helically twisted interconnected wires and forming a carrying web arranged between said cross-bar connections and having their end wires connected to the coiled wires mounted thereon; said fabric Sections lying in the plane of the flat portions of said coiledconnecting wires.

4. A conveyer structure comprising a pair of drive chains in parallel relation with their links in transverse alignment, pivotal connections for said links; certain of said pivotal connections including inwardly projecting portions in regular order, tubular members loosely mounted on said inwardly projecting portions and spacing said chains, continuoushelically coiled wires mounted on said tubular members and extending from chain to chain, and wire fabric sections made up of helically twisted interconnected wires arranged between said tubular members and connected to the coiled wires mounted thereon.

` 5. A conveyer structure comprising a pair of drive chains in parallel relation with their links in transverse alignment, pivotal connections for said links; certain of said pivotal connections including inwardly projecting portions in regular order, tubular members mounted on said inwardly projecting portions and spacing said chains, coiled wires mounted on said tubular members, wire fabric sections made up of helically twisted interconnected wires arranged between said tubular members and connected to the coiled wires mounted thereon, and resilient means disposed between the chains and the fabric sections to maintain the latter centrally of the chains throughout the extent of the conveyer structure.

6. A conveyer structure vcomprising a pair of drive chains in parallel relation with their links in transverse alignment, pivotal connections for said links; certain of said pivotal connections including inwardly projecting portions in regular order, tubular members mounted on said inwardly projecting portions and spacing said chains, coiled wires mounted on said tubular members, wire fabric sections made up of helically twisted interconnected wires arranged between said tubular members and having their end wires connected to the coiled wires mounted thereon, and spring sections at the ends of said coiled wires to maintain the fabric sections centrally of the chains throughout the extent of the conveyer structure.

7. Aconveyer structure comprising a pair of i drive chains in parallel relation with their links intransverse alignment, pivotal connections for said links, cross-bar connections for said chains aligned with certain of said pivotal connections, coiled wires mounted onsaid cross-bar connections, wire fabric sections made up of helically twisted interconnected wires and forming a carrying web between said cross-bar connections and having their end wires connected to the coiled wires mounted thereon, and coiled springs interposed between said coiled connecting wires and the chains to maintain the fabric sections centrally of the chains throughout the extent of the conveyer structure.

8. A conveyer structure comprising a pair of drive chains in parallel relation with their links in transverse alignment, pivotal connections for said links; certain of said pivotal connections including inwardly projecting portions in regular order, tubular members mounted on said inwardly projecting portions and spacing said chains, coiled wires mounted on said tubular members, wire fabric sections made up of helically twisted interconnected wires arranged between said tubular members and having their end Wires connected to the coiled Wires mounted thereon, and coiled springs disposed between said coiled connecting wires and the chains to maintain the fabric sections centrally of the chains throughout 10 the extent of the conveyer structure.

RAYMOND J. GUBA. 

